Of Heart and Soul
by ImmortalFlick
Summary: Slash. Azkaban is a bleak place with an even bleaker outlook, Harry is sent there. Innocent? Of course.
1. Chapter One

Here is my second attempt.  
  
Firstly - thanks to all of you who I didn't thank in the final messages.   
  
namely Jojo, melinda (I didn't like how it was going that's mostly why I rewrote it), heretic angel, and especially Sarah,   
  
also, - Princess Lena aka Lady Kittuna- I'm really sorry, I'm glad you loved it, and I hope you remember it, I'm rewriting it way differently, but maybe I'll repost that version slightly done up later on. Sorry about all this but I couldn't write it anymore, it was cramping my style a bit. Thanks lots. Hope you read anyway, he's not really dark, just a little jaded.  
  
There is a little confusion about something:  
  
Mr -i've got none- (which actually sounds rather gross) okay, then, get *this* straight. You may be slightly confused but as far as I know (and I have checked) this is in BooksHarry Potter under Char1: Harry Char2: Ron, Romance/Angst (I may get rid of the romance later on, 'cause I don't want to turn this into a major romance). Now, I don't know what you're calling a Harry/Draco section, if it's Harry Potter, that's just dumb, because that's as far as it goes with a possibility of Draco turning up in the results. Get your facts right before you review on an 'eyeball burning fic which is in the wrong section'. Please don't review again.  
  
Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine. (And from some of the scathing reviews I've gotten earlier, I might not want to own the plot either :) ...)  
  
________________________________________________________________________  
  
Re-written chapter 1 - Of Heart and Soul  
  
He could still remember the day he had been brought to this God forsaken place, in a potions lesson, how strangely appropriate.   
  
Snape was stalking around the class like an overgrown bat yet again, berating the class on their poor efforts.   
  
"Longbottom! Your potion is supposed to be blue, not orange." He sneered at Neville's sickly orange coloured potion. Poor Neville, he was always the one who was on the receiving end of Professor Snape's berating, besides him of course. Hermione was mouthing the ingredient to add next in order for the potion to revert to its desired state. Harry sighed, life never changed. Now in his fifth year potions was still the same as it was in first, except nothing of particular note had happened yet and Harry was extremely relieved, his life was almost normal.   
  
"Potter, stop day-dreaming and get on with it!" Snape had noticed Harry's state of mind.  
  
Harry could see Ron's face as Pansy was flirting with Draco who was sitting to the left of him. Ron had, unfortunately, landed a partner with Pansy. Snape had changed the seating this year, Ron with Pansy, Hermione with Goyle, Draco with Seamus, Neville with Crabbe and lastly Harry himself with Dean. Thankfully he hadn't been paired with Draco, Pansy or someone of equal horridness.   
  
Suddenly the door to the potions room slammed open, Harry was half expecting Vodemort or Death-Eaters. But to everyone's surprise four Aurors rushed in along with Fudge. The Minister brushed himself off, turned to Snape and uttered a sentence that would change Harry's life forever.   
  
"Harry Potter is under arrest, charged with the murder of Cedric Diggory and disturbing the peace, the sentence is a life-time in Azkaban."  
  
Harry just sat there stunned. The rest of the class was also stunned but soon dissolved into un-hushed whispers. Ron and Hermione stood frozen with confused looks on their faces.   
  
"I didn't do anything!" Harry then caught hold of reality; the Aurors pulled his hands behind his back. Harry struggled against them in a futile attempt to run. But on a second thought where would he run from this. By tomorrow it would be all over the papers.   
  
He heard Ron and Hermione shouting out something but he couldn't understand it. Then the Aurors apperated, they were in Azkaban, he could feel it.   
  
"Don't I get a trial?" He asked as they dragged him through the wretched hallway.   
  
"We don't need one." The Aurors voice was cold.  
  
"I didn't do it." Harry uttered to himself softly.  
  
***  
  
14 years later...  
  
  
  
***  
  
The cell for prisoner 3364 was just like any other cell, gray and old. In Azkaban you were called by your number, so you almost forgot your own name, there was just that number. Harry Potter was prisoner 3364. His once bright, radiant green eyes were dull and absent. 3364 hadn't been given the kiss; he just simply wasn't there. On his wall was written, 'God will give me justice'. This lost man had written it a long time ago and he no longer believed it was possible. He no longer believed anything. Harry Potter, world savior, hated the world.   
  
Today was just another day of nothingness, pure hell. Then something happened, something so strange it was to turn 3364's life a new twist.  
  
The doors to the hallway clanged open and eight people walked in. The dementors were removed from the room. They ignored the cries of desperation from the other prisoners and eventually stopped in front of cell 3364, the cell of the famous Harry Potter.   
  
His godfather stood, along with the well known headmaster of Hogwarts, the current minister of magic, Arthur Weasley, his wife, Molly Weasley, the werewolf, Remus Lupin and two people who had once known the boy-who-lived very well, but as well as they'd know him, as much as they claimed to love him, betrayal can't lie. He looked up at them, indifference in his eyes and posture. They were here to take him out, he knew, they finally knew the real story and they were here to amend themselves. But sins of these proportions could not be forgiven quite as easily as they imagined.   
  
As they opened the cell door, Harry stood. "Free now am I?" He said coldly, his voice harsh and unused.  
  
They looked at him sorrowfully, and it disgusted the man to see a bit of confusion in their stares.  
  
"Harry, we're sorry, please believe us."  
  
"Believe what? That you betrayed me? I'm allowed to leave now, it really makes no difference whether I see you again, but if I do, don't believe I won't kill you without a second thought." He brushed past them, not acknowleging the devestated look on his godfather's face, Remus had a comforting but firm hand on Sirius' shoulder and he caught Harry's eye as the other man walked past. He gave a nod, not trying to prevent him from leaving, even understanding why. Maybe it was because he had gone through the same sorrow with Sirius and knew that they could not find redemption for their abandonment through the one they abandoned. Maybe he just knew.   
  
Ron yelled after him, even ran after him and grabbed his arm, desperately babbling something Harry didn't care to listen to. Hermione was in tears, held by Mrs Weasley, who was shocked. Arthur didn't seem surprised, although he wasn't completely to blame. He had a seed of belief in Harry all along, as soon as he was minister he'd pardoned Harry using ten of the greatest wizarding lawyers.   
  
But that didn't mean he expected him to be okay after his stay in Azkaban, and he certainly wasn't, Harry had lost more than a little of his sanity and all of his innocence. If one thing still resounded clearly in his mind it was 3364, and he knew that it wasn't a message of happiness, that, it was a reminder of betrayal. That was what everything was about.   
  
They believed that Harry had betrayed them by lying and killing Cedric. They were wrong. Harry believed they had betrayed him by not believing him and shoving him here and then expecting him to straight out forgive them because they were sorry. The world didn't work that way and they all knew it.   
  
***  
  
As soon as Harry had found his way out of the hell called Azkaban he collapsed in relief. His body was exhausted. The little sleep he ever got was plagued by nightmares and visions. The worst part was that not many of those nightmares were just that, nightmares, most of them were real. Visions, phrophetic dreams he'd once heard them called.   
  
He was no prophet but that didn't mean he couldn't see Voldemort do all his acts of destruction and blood. It didn't mean he wasn't capable of doing such acts himself. Murdering people really wasn't that far off of a notion when you'd seen it done so many times. He could file away hundreds of different ways to kill people, Muggle and wizard ways. And he could perform any of them without a thought, that's what made it so bloody hard.   
  
He hated the world for turning on him, but most of all he hated his friends and family for not believing him. Not trusting him. And the problem was, as much as he hated them, he loved them. The two did sit together after all. You have to be able to hate someone to love them. And oh, how he hated them. Ron, he couldn't live without, his wheezy. Such a strange thing to call such a person. Wheezy. Like asthma. But asthma could kill you. How ironic.   
  
Harry could look at himself and say in all honesty that he was bitter. Bitter, jaded, and utterly disgusted in mankind. He may love them but he never wanted to see them again. It was decided. He was leaving. Would he come back? No. He wouldn't go back, even if he had to die to stay away. Harry stood up, using one of the pillars to help him.   
  
From the outside Azkaban was indeed a beautiful place. White. What a ridiculous colour choice. He turned away from the building in which he'd spent half his life. The sea air met him in greeting. He couldn't disapparate. They'd snapped his wand. Even if they hadn't he wouldn't have had the energy. There was only one way to do this then. He smiled at the waves. It turned out as a grimace but that was to be expected.   
  
"So, we meet again, world." He talked to no one and everyone at the same time. He lowered himself into the boat the group had evidently brought themselves here in.  
  
Harry picked up an oar. They would use a row boat, muggles were much more innovative. "I'd better get started then."  
  
End chapter 1.  
  
God, I hope I get no negative reviews next time. I'm truly sorry to Princess Lena aka Lady Kittuna and the others, but I'll repost the old version another time. Thanks, please review. 


	2. Chapter Two

The pairing is no longer Harry/Ron. I don't know what the slash pairing for Harry will be yet, I'll leave it up to you guys to tell me what you want and then I'll make the final decision. Thanks for the encouragement! (and I hope you enjoy this chapter, I know it took a long time coming!)  
  
(/)  
  
Of Heart and Soul 2  
  
The rowing had tired him. All of his body was aching. His legs collapsing beneath him as he gingerly found his way off the boat. Excellent, he thought to himself sarcastically, I find my way to the far edge of the forbidden forest, twelve miles from civilization, in which I'll most likely fall unconscious. With no wand, was tacked on to the rant. Brilliant. Now where do I go from here?  
  
He had a plan. Harry had a good plan. He never wanted to be bothered again. Not to do any favors, not for any apologies, not for anything. There was a small problem though. To finish what had to be done Harry had to do a few favors, accept a few apologies, and ask for help. He had to kill Voldemort. How would he go about this? From the few daily prophet articles he could judge the bastard had been quiet for the past six years, which was a bad thing. It meant he was planning something.   
  
But to get to Voldemort he had to get to a contact. Time to visit an old bastard.  
  
(/)  
  
"Don't say a word." Harry hissed into the man's ear. "Or I'll cut your throat."  
  
The man stilled suddenly and Harry knew what he was thinking. "Your neck will be broken as quickly as you can say the curse."  
  
"What do you want?" The hard and deadly voice was a familiar tie to his old school days.   
  
Plucking the wand from the pale man's pocket he stepped back, releasing his hold. "Potter?" The gasp made him smile, that he had such an impact.   
  
"Hello, Snape, I've come for a visit." It occurred to Harry that he sounded completely off whack but that was normal.  
  
"What happened to the golden boy then?" What a time to be asking that. What a bloody time.  
  
"He rotted away in Azkaban. I'm not evil. I may be a twisted bastard, but I'm not evil. I'm tired, Snape, I'm really tired." And he was. Fifteen years of sleep would do him good.   
  
"I can't help you Potter." Like fuck he couldn't.   
  
"How do you know what I want?"  
  
"You want to get to Dumbledore."  
  
Harry heard a hacking laugh and wondered who it was for a short moment. He winced when he realized it was himself who sounded so jaded.   
  
"Merlin, I thought you were meant to be smart, Snape. You couldn't be further from the truth." They were like opposite ends of a stick.  
  
There was nothing from Snape but Harry was sure he could see dawning suspicion in his black eyes.  
  
"I may hate Dumbledore, but I don't want to slaughter him. Yet." There was a pause as Harry pondered on how he would put it. "I want Voldemort's heart served on a silver platter so I can eat it raw, then I'm going to saw his head off and put it on a pole in front of the ministry building with preserving wards that will last a thousand years, and I'm going to visit it every year until I die. That's what I want."   
  
The small speech didn't seem to have shocked or horrified Snape at all. Exactly what he was after. "Impossible."  
  
"Improbable. But it's going to happen." Whether the red-eyed, crazy bastard liked it or not.  
  
(/)  
  
"I could have killed you."  
  
"You can't touch me, Snape."  
  
"Your mutt of a godfather is gnawing his arm off with guilt."  
  
"He deserves it."  
  
The reaction he got wasn't the one he'd expected. "You ungrateful, bloody bastard! That idiot of a man was one of the only people stupid enough to believe in your mythical innocence!"  
  
"You're defending someone you despise." Harry couldn't get worked up over much anymore. Did Sirius really believe he was innocent?  
  
Snape seemed to calm slightly. "That may be, but you're despising someone you shouldn't."  
  
"I'll talk to him." Oh, to agree so quickly. Surely Snape knew he was lying.  
  
"Lying bastard."  
  
"Have you changed even a bit?" Harry asked incredulously  
  
"Nothing has changed Potter. The world has been in a tedious limbo since you got locked away. The same thing every year, there is no room for change."  
  
The world must have changed in the years gone. Harry had seen a few papers and everything had seemed like he was just back to fifteen, but time...  
  
"You took a risk coming back to Hogwarts."  
  
"No I didn't. I'm innocent, remember?"  
  
"You haven't made any public announcements, nothing to show the press or anyone else that you haven't been released wrongly. No peace-offering, no interviews, no statement. For all they know, you've cast a few unforgivables and persuaded your way out of prison."   
  
Harry shot him a confused look. What the hell was he talking about?  
  
"Oh, yes, I propositioned a dementor, did a few sexual favors and voila!"  
  
"Don't play stupid. Most of them would kill you in a second."   
  
"Who, the dementors?"  
  
The scowl was prominent on Snape's face. Harry thought this must have been the most fun he'd had in forever.  
  
"The students nor the teachers could kill me, do you think I'm that weak? I'm not." Fun and games were over as he glared at Snape, his eyes flashing.  
  
They were walking to Snape's rooms. Harry had ambushed him outside his office, but his lair appeared to be much further down in the dungeons. He had decided already that he'd have to make a grand appearance tomorrow at breakfast, though Dumbledore probably already knew he was here. In the meantime, he needed Snape's help with getting him up to date.   
  
Snape had changed. The man wasn't quite as bitter, didn't seem to hate Harry half as much as in his school days, yet hadn't mellowed. The Potions Master even seemed willing to get familiar to him. Dumbledore probably had some influence on that. Snape still worked for the man, he knew that being friendly would only be beneficial for the bloody order.   
  
Yes, Harry knew about the order, there was no way he couldn't when Dumbledore had been so free about it at the beginning of Harry's fifth year. He didn't like the sound of it one bit. And he didn't want to be a part of it.  
  
This 'friendship' could only help Harry's cause so he was willing to go along with it for a while. But no doubt the time would come when he'd need to cut it off at the roots before it went too far and he was ready for that too.  
  
End of Chapter 2  
  
(/)  
  
I'll try and keep the chapters fast coming, which means they sometimes might be a bit short, but that means I could get probably get out one a week. Like the sound of that?  
  
Reviews are more than welcome, as are suggestions! 


	3. Chapter Three

Thanks to: dead feather, Firestar038, pavonia (you'll see in the next few chapters), NatalieJ, The Little Swimmy Dudette (stuff older, believe in the LOVE!), FroBoy, GwEnDoLyN P. MaLfOy and Queen Weasel.  
  
This is officially entering HP/SS slash. If you don't like, don't touch. And don't flame.  
  
(/)  
  
Chapter 3  
  
(/)  
  
"This is a nice place, Snape, I expected worse." He dropped down onto the plush black sofa.  
  
"This said from someone who has been accommodating Azkaban for the past 14 years." Snape sneered down at him.  
  
"It smells a little musty..." Harry drawled, trying to appear relaxed. It wouldn't do to look as if he was strung like a bow. Everything made him jumpy now, he felt like Moody.  
  
"It smells fine, Potter." The tall man snapped, sitting opposite Harry. "What do you want?" He asked suddenly.  
  
"I've already told you what I want, Professor, the question is, what do you want?" Harry had a plan, if anyone else dared to look it over it wouldn't make much sense, but it did to him. Snape was involved in that plan. He was needed for the plan.  
  
"What does that have to do with anything?" The condescending tone made him remember what it was like before Azkaban.  
  
It was time to lay his cards on the table and leave his dignity and pride behind him. "I need you, Professor, I know you don't need me so I'm willing to give what I've got. I can perform certain... services... if need be. Wouldn't that be nice, Professor? The fallen Golden Boy on his knees in front of you, sucking your-"  
  
He was interrupted by the unnerved Snape. "For Merlin's sake, Potter, this is what you've come to? Whoring yourself?"  
  
Harry stood and stalked over to Snape. He sat next to the man and leant close. "I need you. I don't have much to give. I know that you are attracted to men. I willing to be fucked if that's what you want."  
  
"Mr. Potter, remove your hand from my lap immediately." Snape's clipped tone made him smirk inwardly.  
  
"Anytime," He answered silkily, removing his roaming hand. "Tell me Snape, what have I missed?"  
  
"14 years worth of progress."  
  
"Vague. Who's dead?"  
  
"A herd of your close friends collected you," Snape looked at him. "or attempted to collect you, today, they are lucky to be alive. Three quarters of Slytherin have been lost. Half of Gryffindor. Only handfuls of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. The school is very bare." That was shocking. Hogwarts must feel so different than it did when he was here.  
  
"And everyone from when I was at school?" Harry desperately wanted to know this, the war was only beginning when he was 15.  
  
"Many are dead. Percy Weasley is dead, as is Virginia. Thomas, Boot, Higgs, Warrington, Bones, Crabbe, and the Patil sisters to name but a few of the continuing deaths." They were cold hard facts. Harry knew Voldemort needed to die. Not only for his own life. For theirs.  
  
(/)  
  
It was early morning. 2am, if Harry's internal clock was still on target. The bed was too soft. The room was too warm. There was no fear. No discontentment from the outside. No screams. No mutters. He should've been comfortable. But the 29 year old man felt like a child in a stranger's home. There was a fictional cold about this room, he'd created it. His breathing sounded like yells, ringing loudly in his ears. He couldn't close his eyes. It was a waking nightmare.  
  
"Oh fuck." His life was screwed. This is what Azkaban did to you. This was conditioning.  
  
Then his memories, similar to the ones the Dementors provoked, came to front. Especially the newly resurrected feeling of betrayal. How could they do it to him? After Sirius? After everything? What were they thinking?  
  
It registered with him, quite late, that his hair was far too long. And he hadn't actually had the shower he knew he needed. Snape hadn't said anything unsavory, unusual for him, but any dumb beast could see his eyes. They screamed disgust. Hell, he probably had lice. The thought made him itchy.  
  
Harry sat up. It was two in the morning but what the heck?  
  
That was how he ended up in a steaming shower. So hot he felt like his skin was melting off his back, it was how he liked it. It was the thought of being in Snape's shower that made him jerk off, something he hadn't done in over a decade. The relief made him almost boneless. It made Harry laugh aloud to know that if Snape had been awake he would've heard Harry moan his name.  
  
The ragged man faced the mirror, holding a pair of scissors. He hated long hair. Time to get rid of it. As he chopped off the long jet black mop he felt a little less burdened. He couldn't change his eyes from being so gaunt though, they reminded him of Sirius'.  
  
It took half an hour, but his hair was much shorter than it had been even in school and, thankfully, lice free.  
  
He went back to bed at 5am, after a cup of tea and chicken. Divine tastes.  
  
The bed was still too warm, too comfortable and the room was still too quiet, but he felt better and managed to close his eyes and relax until 7.  
  
He wasn't up before Snape. He'd heard Snape get up at 6, fumble around for a while, then settle. Harry got up and found the older man reading a potions book, little surprise there.  
  
"Potter." The greasy-haired man looked up and acknowledged him with a nod. Harry could just see the widening of Snape's black eyes at the sight of his hair.  
  
Harry nodded back. "Morning."  
  
"We have to go to breakfast in less than ten minutes. Are you presentable?"  
  
Harry looked him up and down. "You tell me." He leered.  
  
Snape's mouth tightened. "You look fine. If underfed and insane." He added snarkily.  
  
Harry supposed he deserved it, he was baiting the man.  
  
He took a deep breath. "May as well be early." He walked to the door and took another gasp. His heart was beating faster already. They would be here. Dumbledore probably already knew he was here. It would take all he had not to just walk away. It hurt to see them.  
  
(/)  
  
There were whispers from the moment he walked in. Some louder and more obnoxious than others. Harry picked out the people he knew immediately, all of them at the teacher's table.  
  
Hermione was there. A wince. Remus and to Harry's surprise, Sirius. He carefully avoided their eyes as he walked beside Snape. Hagrid was up there along with Malfoy. Cho Chang. Dumbledore. Neville Longbottom.  
  
So many of the professors were from back then. Only two he didn't recognize.  
  
Harry followed Snape like a dog up to the table and sat beside him, carefully keeping his gaze on his plate, he broke the gaze to glare at a kid who'd got him with a camera. Brat. The whispers did not settle until Dumbledore stood and did a flashy trick along with a few nonsense words and greeted the students for the morning. It annoyed Harry that the old man had stopped the frenzied whispers. Not because he didn't want them to stop, but that he'd needed someone else to do it for him. Especially Dumbledore, a man he wanted nothing to do with.  
  
Sirius kept trying to catch his eye and Harry reminded himself of what he had to do. Make allies. But he still couldn't help himself when he looked his godfather in the eye and just stared. He didn't put any emotion into it at all and hoped the now graying man could figure it out.  
  
"Charity Westinghall." The petite lady next to him held out her hand. He took it, shook it firmly and dropped it as quickly as possible. He hated shaking hands. It made him feel trapped. Harry wondered if it was an Azkaban thing or just a freaky thing.  
  
"Harry Potter."  
  
She grinned at him. "I know, believe me, I've heard so much about you I could tell you what colour your robes were during the Yule Ball in your fourth year."  
  
Harry looked at her incredulously. Why on earth would anyone still know that?  
  
"There are only two members of this staff who did not know you in your school years, including me, do you think your famous, or infamous, reputation has not reigned even while you were shut away?" She talked about it like he'd just been sitting in a house for the past 14 years.  
  
"Who's the other?" He asked, curious about the rather handsome man four seats away.  
  
She saw his interested look and shook her head. "Straight as a board and self-proclaimed womanizer. Jason Brienne."  
  
Perceptive. Harry smiled. "They're never as straight as they seem."  
  
Her glittering laugh made his mood lighter. "I'd love to see you try."  
  
"I'm stuck on someone else." He murmured.  
  
Charity tapped the table. "I know."  
  
Harry just shook his head. Crazy woman.  
  
All the table had enough restraint to not leap out of their seats during breakfast, but Harry could see they wanted to, looks were sent his way constantly, their food was evidently not as interesting as he was. He was thankful they waited until he tried to get up and leave, only a few students remained in the hall.  
  
"Harry," Hermione said as he stood up. "We're sorry."  
  
Every time he heard the word it made his hair stand up and skin prickle. It was like such a small word could heal all wounds. It did nothing but serve to make the wounds deeper, it was the salt.  
  
He just kept walking. He heard Hermione sit down, and someone else stand up. "Can I talk to you, Harry?" It was Sirius. His godfather, who looked so tired and different.  
  
Harry looked back for a second and nodded his head at the left door. He left out that door and leant against the wall after he closed it. It was dark here, this corridor just made a circle back to another, it had no specific purpose but to make the Great Hall symmetrical. It was dark in here. It was more comfortable.  
  
"We fucked up, I know Harry, I know you can never forgive us. I'm not going to say I'm sorry because Remus said it to me a million times and I hated it. I'm just going to say that I was so fucking wrong I don't deserve to lick dirt off your shoes. I just want to try to get to know you and help you in any way I can."  
  
It was almost a sign, a sign Harry could get the specific army he needed. "I don't want you licking the dirt off my shoes. You're right, I can't forgive you. But you can help me."  
  
The nod was almost pathetic and made Harry cringe. This was his godfather for Merlin's sake!  
  
"I'll talk to you another time." He couldn't stand it any more. Even two minutes was too much.  
  
He brushed past the older man and strolled further into the dark hall, there was a certain amount of assurance to be offered by the black.  
  
He wondered if he could bring himself to love any of those who had betrayed him. But then he couldn't love anyone any more, he wasn't sure he was even capable. To love you needed a heart. And a soul. He'd misplaced both a while back.  
  
(/)  
  
End of chapter 3  
  
Yes, I finally updated. Sorry about my chronic laziness. And about the shortness. 


	4. Chapter Four

Chapter 4 

"I'm surprised you're letting me continue to stay in your _private _rooms, Snape."

Snape sneered at him, disgust etched on his face. "I assure you, Potter, there is no hidden message in my sharing my rooms. I believe you have the same goal as I do and I wouldn't find it horribly inconvenient to follow that goal through."

Harry couldn't find a suitably snarky response. "Good." He answered as amiably as possible.

Harry stood and watched as Snape made himself comfortable with a book, something on potions, and sat opposite the fire. He felt strangely out of place and something in his heart was ringing like an alarm with longing. He ignored it with a small scowl.

When Snape spoke it made him jump, a habit he had acquired due to his stay in the Wizarding prison. "I hope you have been using your day well."

The tone implied the man thought the opposite was true. "I've been catching up with my reading. Quite a collection."

Though he saw Snape tense slightly there was no other outward reaction.

"Of course," He drifted closer to the chair. "I could be doing much better things with my time."

It was unexpected but Snape's indifferent attitude snapped. "Potter, you have been prostituting yourself to me every moment we are alone and no doubt you will continue to do so in public! I would assume you were mentally and emotionally damaged from your period in Azkaban but it is only to me!"

Harry wondered if maybe he should just sit down and explain everything to Snape but shook the thought off immediately.

"You don't want sexual favours, Snape? What do you want? Money? A slave? Your own personal potions tester?"

"I don't want anything from you, Potter, not a single thing!" The man was going red in the face.

Harry decided to stop beating around the bush. "I like you. I like your body. I like the fact that you don't treat me like I'm fragile equipment or a hero. I'm willing to take a step past sexual favours. What do you say? Wanna jump in the sack?"

If anything, Snape went redder. "Potter, that was positively crude."

"How could I be anything else?"

"The answer is no, I do not want to 'jump in the sack'. If you touch me again you will lose something you would much rather keep." His voice was stone cold.

Harry was surprised to feel something sink. "I will win you over, Snape." He whispered as he walked past the other man.

There was no call after him as he closed the door to the guest bedroom. He was surprised Snape even had a guest bedroom. Harry was pretty sure Snape did not have guests. He may have been sleeping alone in the guest bedroom, but his eyes were set on the master bedroom.

0-0

Sirius met him outside the Great Hall. Harry had not slept well. He was in no mood to deal with his apologetic godfather.

"Fuck off, Black." The name came out easily but Harry wasn't comfortable with naming the man at all.

"Harry, please, I just want to talk." The tone was submissive and Harry had a fleeting thought of treating Sirius as a servant of sorts. As pay back. But it fled as soon as it came to mind, Harry wasn't that sort of a person.

"Just fuck off." A haunted sympathetic look passed over the man's face.

Harry sighed in frustration and faced away from Sirius. "I don't want your sympathy. I don't want your pity. I don't want to see you."

The words seemed to register as Sirius walked through the doors of the Great Hall. He turned back. "Remus wants to talk to you."

"I'll see."

Harry waited until he was sure Sirius would be seated. Then he took a deep breath. "It's now or never." He muttered to himself.

A laugh startled him. "You make it sound like a big ordeal." Charity Westinghall's big brown eyes stared at him, amused.

For some reason the comment made him feel slightly bitter. "You have no idea."

"Come on, we have to sit next to Jason, he's dying to meet you."

"Straight, you said?"

"He thinks you're a real hero."

"Even when I was incarcerated?"

"Even when you were rotting away in Azkaban with an article on your duplicity appearing in the Daily Prophet every week or so, even then he thought you were amazing. He said you had guts for killing your opponent in the Tri-Wizard Tournament back then. Now he says you have guts for surviving the prison."

Harry ran a hand through his hair, a move not nearly as satisfying as it was with longer hair. "He sounds like a real piece of work."

"He's nice."

"Don't talk to me about Azkaban again." His bad mood didn't stop him from warning her. Great, he was alienating one of the only people willing to talk to him normally.

"Whatever you say."

She grabbed his arm but he jerked away.

"And don't touch me."

This time she frowned. "Is that because of...?"

"Just don't."

Charity nodded solemnly.

0-0

"So you're staying with Severus?"

Brienne wasn't bad, Harry had to admit. There were several mistakes Harry had made when sitting next to the two. Brienne and Charity were much younger than Harry, bubbly to an annoying degree and far too eager to pry.

"Yes, I am."

"I'm surprised, that man is as cold as ice, I didn't think he'd let someone stay in his quarters, much less you, Harry Potter." Brienne said the name with a tinge of awe, which made him grind his teeth in a way that couldn't be healthy.

"We have a truce." Harry answered shortly, glancing at Snape, who was sitting two chairs down. He looked tired.

Harry still got the occasional stare from the students but luckily they kept it to a minimum.

"Notice how that boy's eyes have been on you since you arrived?" A low whisper from Charity made his nerves tense.

He followed Charity's gaze.

"He's Draco's."

Harry sat back. He looked the boy over. The child looked to be very similar to his father but Harry couldn't place the mother.

"The brat is Malfoy's?"

"Draco probably has him keeping a look out for you."

"Why?" Harry wondered if there would be a nasty trick waiting for him around each corner.

"Why not? You're Harry Potter, his old school rival, went to Azkaban and suddenly 'poof' he's innocent and residing in the same castle as his cherished son. Of course he's going to be wary." Charity rolled her eyes.

"Cherished?" Harry asked quietly, unable to keep his eyes off Malfoy's kid. The familiarity...

"Loves the boy more than he loves himself." She said jokingly. "He's changed quite a bit from your day, I've heard, still a bit of a prick though, if you ask me."

"Who is his mother?"

"Was," Charity's tone was subdued. "She was Susan Bones."

Harry's eyes glanced from the boy to Charity. He didn't say anything. Charity seemed to realize he wouldn't be conversing with her any time soon and started up a debate with Brienne about the quality of alcohol compared with the cost.

His gaze remained on the boy for the rest of breakfast.

0-0

End of Chapter 4

Thanks to: DaughterofDeath, sami1010220, lonlyheart, thesecretcharacter, kears, aikidobrat and athenakitty.

Next chapter: Ministry, Voldemort and Malfoy.


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